Addressing Outsourcing Concerns

Outsourcing sometimes carries a less favourable connotation and is thus met with hesitation or outright indignation. However, it is simply the act of one entity obtaining goods or services from another entity instead of the former producing or doing it themselves. Any person or organization could be outsourcing within the neighbourhood, onshore, or offshore.

Outsourcing is as basic as a homeowner hiring someone else to clean the house, mow the lawn, or shovel the snow. It's as old as the ancient empire centers relying on far-flung provinces to produce food and other goods. It's as common as today's gadgets, clothes and whatnot manufactured in another province or country and then marketed and sold by a local or national brand. It's as advanced as paying for technology and software services to execute certain tasks that are otherwise done manually by humans.

As with any of the above scenarios, it is natural to have reservations about entrusting tasks to others. Here we tackle the common concerns and how they are addressed by having the right partner.

"Outsourcing is not just a cost-saving measure; it’s a means to enhance innovation and drive growth."

- Michael Corbett

Collaborative Partnership for Effective Staff Management

Outsourcing should be viewed not as a loss of control but as a partnership. While you as a business owner relinquish day-to-day management, you retain strategic control. Choose an outsourcing partner with a proven track record, industry expertise, and a strong alignment with your company culture. By selecting the right provider, you can build a collaborative relationship where both parties work towards common goals.

A well-structured partnership involves clear roles and responsibilities, regular reporting, and open communication. These are especially crucial when there is interdependency between the onsite team and the external team. You can also use remote monitoring tools to maintain oversight. This partnership approach ensures that your offshore team is fully integrated into your business processes and that they understand your business's unique needs and challenges.

Maintaining Productivity Standards

The stereotype of a less-committed offshore workforce is outdated. Many offshore employees view their jobs as opportunities for growth and advancement, fostering a strong work ethic. This can translate into higher productivity, as these teams are often eager to prove their capabilities and deliver exceptional results.

Outsourcing partners also often have well-established processes and technologies that ensure productivity levels are met or even exceeded. This is where defined and clear performance metrics and regular feedback mechanisms come into play.

With an external team taking care of specific business processes remotely, you and your team can focus and increase productivity on more critical business processes. Moreover, by leveraging time zone differences, your business can benefit from extended or round-the-clock operations.

Quality Control and Oversight

Reputable outsourcing providers invest in comprehensive, continuous training and development programs for their teams. Such programs cover the latest industry knowledge, specialized hard/technical skills, soft skills and cultural understanding. Your inputs to these programs ensure your external team is aligned with your company values and well-equipped to provide the best customer experience and service delivery on your behalf.

Moreover, outsourcing providers implement stringent quality assurance processes, including random audits, regular performance evaluations, and feedback mechanisms. They also encourage your participation in quality control through regular interactions, performance reviews and feedback sessions. By working closely with your outsourcing partner and maintaining open communications, you can establish clear expectations, set performance metrics and monitor results to ensure the quality of work meets your standards. This collaborative approach strengthens the partnership and enhances outcomes.

The Right Partner

While it’s understandable to have concerns about outsourcing, many of these worries can be alleviated by choosing the right partner and approaching the relationship as a strategic collaboration. With the right processes in place, business owners can maintain high standards of staff management and productivity as well as robust quality control, while benefiting from the advantages of having an external team. Embracing outsourcing as part of your business strategy can lead to cost savings and greater efficiency.

Discover how Nitro Impact can support your business by handling calls and other tasks that can be taken care of remotely.